Today the finish line went went on trial in Recent Mexico for allegedly failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation on its apps, including Facebook and Instagram. The state alleges that Meta violated the Recent Mexico Unfair Practices Act by implementing design features and algorithms that created unsafe conditions for users. Now, more than two years after the case was filed, opening arguments have begun in Santa Fe.
It’s a gigantic week for Meta in court: A landmark social media trial begins today in California, marking the nation’s first legal test of social media addiction. This case is part of proceedings coordinated by the “JCCP”, a judicial council that brings together many civil cases focusing on similar issues.
The plaintiffs in this case allege that social media companies designed their products negligently and caused various harms to minors who used their applications. Snap, TikTok and Google were named as defendants alongside Meta; Snap and TikTok have already reconciled. The absence of Meta means that some of the company’s top management may be called as a witness in the coming weeks.
Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, will likely not testify live at the trial in Recent Mexico. However, this procedure may still be noteworthy for several reasons. This is the first stand-alone, state-led case against Meta to actually go to trial in the US. It’s also a highly charged child sexual abuse case that will ultimately hinge on highly technical arguments, including what it means to “lead” the public, how algorithmic amplification works on social media, and what protections Meta and other social media platforms provide under Section 230.
And while Meta’s top officials may not be required to appear in person, testimony from executives and other witnesses could still provide an captivating look at the inner workings of a company that has set policies for underage users and responded to complaints that it isn’t doing enough to protect them.
Meta has so far given no indication that it plans to settle. The company has denied the allegations, and Meta spokesman Aaron Simpson previously told WIRED: “While New Mexico presents arguments that are sensational, irrelevant and distracting, we are focused on demonstrating our long-standing commitment to supporting young people… We are proud of the progress we have made and are always working to do better.”
Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, a tech industry watchdog, said in an emailed statement that the two trials represent “Mark Zuckerberg’s split-screen nightmares: a landmark trial in Los Angeles into addicting children to Facebook and Instagram, and a trial in New Mexico revealing how Meta enabled predators to use social media to exploit and abuse children.”
“These are the trials of an entire generation,” Haworth added. “Just as the world watched courtrooms hold Big Tobacco and Big Pharma accountable, we will see Big Tech executives like Zuckerberg take a stand for the first time.”
The cost of doing business
Recent Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a complaint against Meta in December 2023. He alleged that Meta proactively served explicit content to minors, allowed adults to exploit children on the platform, allowed Facebook and Instagram users to easily find child pornography, and allowed an investigator in the case, posing as a mother, to offer her underage daughter to human traffickers for sex.
The trial is expected to last seven weeks. Jurors were selected last week, a panel of 10 women and eight men (12 jurors and six alternates). Recent Mexico First Judicial District Judge Bryan Biedscheid is presiding over the case.